Splendor departure delayed again, now scheduled for Friday afternoon

SAN DIEGO (CNS) – Maybe the third try to leave San Diego Bay will be the charm for the Carnival Splendor, the cruise ship that caught fire off the coast of Baja California in November.

Officials with Carnival Cruise Lines want to move the 952-foot ship to a dry dock in the San Francisco Bay Area for further repairs. However, attempts to leave Wednesday and Thursday were scrubbed when the crew needed more time to prepare.

The Long Beach-based ship has been docked at the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal since it was towed to port following a fire in the engine room on Nov. 8.

The flames cut power to the vessel, stranding about 4,000 passengers on the first leg of a seven-day cruise to the Mexican Riviera.

Enough repairs were made to the engines to allow the Carnival Splendor to cruise under its own power. However, two tugboats will accompany the vessel on the multi-day trip, just in case, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.